Banaba as a herbal medicine

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Banaba is also known as Lagerstroemia speciosa, Queen's Crape-myrtle, Giant Crape-myrtle, or Pride of India and Banabá Plant) it is indigenous to Philippines as well as other parts of South East Asia and India.

Today it grows in the USA, Australia, Jamaica, Africa, Common in southern France, Iberian Peninsula and Italy.

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In a study done in 1996 researchers added some Banaba extract to the daily food intake of diabetic mice.

This was done over a five-week period. The mice had non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or type two. Blood glucose levels as well as glucose levels in the urine were compared with diabetic mice that were not given the extract.

It was discovered that glucose levels in the urine and blood glucose levels were less in the mice that were given Banaba extract. Additionally it discovered their overall cholesterol were less also.

In 2001, Ohio researchers studied the extracts activity in a test tube. They concluded that Banaba extract might be useful in preventing and treating hyperglycemia as well as obesity in type II diabetes.